News for Florida animal advocates

Yesterday the St. Lucie County Board of County Commissioners voted 5-0 to approve a plan by the National Elephant Center, a partnership of over 70 U.S. zoos, to create an elephant holding and breeding facility on land at the western edge of the county (The Center is not a sanctuary). The approval was not unexpected, but the commissioner’s unanimous vote came with a number of conditions, the most important being that no bullhooks will be allowed on the premises.

On Monday, ARFF participated in a news conference with representatives from In Defense of Animals and PETA, as well as from St. Lucie County-based United For Animals. One of our main concerns was that The National Elephant Center would allow use of the bullhook, a weapon that resembles a fireplace poker that is used to strike, stab, hook, prod and intimidate elephants into obedience. Bullhooks are commonly used by circuses, but most U.S. zoos that have elephants have eliminated bullhooks and now rely on a safer and more humane elephant handling method that relies on positive reinforcement only.

At Tuesday’s commission meeting, an ARFF representative again joined with other animal advocates to plead that, if commissioners went forward with The National Elephant Center, that they require as conditions of approval a prohibition of cruel circus-style training at the facility.

Speaking before the commission, Craig Piper, Vice Chair of the National Elephant Center’s Board of Directors, said that bullhooks are “terrible” tools in the wrong hands, but he argued that bullhooks could be used appropriately. From the commissioners questions, it was clear that they didn’t agree.

Commissioner Doug Coward described the bullhook as a “weapon” and said that he could not be proud to support a facility that uses bullhooks. Commissioner Charles Grande asked why bullhooks have sharp points if they aren’t intended to cause pain?

Perhaps The National Elephant Center representatives in the audience felt the mood turning against them, because the last speaker during the meeting, Jerry Borin, the National Elephant Center’s Interim Executive Director, had something surprising to say. Borin began, “I’m going to say something today that I had no idea when I came into this meeting I was going to say …. I can’t speak for the Board as a whole, or the directors of the 70 zoos that are a part of this partnership, but I am going back to this Board and I’m going to tell the Board: We have to set a goal for the National Elephant Center, that we have to eliminate use of the bullhook…. and if they don’t approve that goal, I’m resigning as director of the National Elephant Center.”

Shortly after that statement, a motion was made to ban bullhooks from the site, as one condition for approval of The National Elephant Center’s plans. The vote was unanimous.

Please contact the St. Lucie County Board of County Commission and thank them for their vote condemning the bullhook. The vote is a strong statement that the use of bullhooks can never be humane. We hope that circuses, and those U.S. zoos that still use bullhooks, are listening.

Contact:

St. Lucie County Board of County Commissioners
Online comment form.

- and/or contact the commissioners individually -

Commissioner Chris Dzadovsky
E-mail: DzadovskyC@stlucieco.org

Commissioner Doug Coward
E-mail: CowardD@stlucieco.org

Commissioner Paula A. Lewis
E-mail: LewisP@stlucieco.org

Commissioner Charles Grande
E-mail: GrandeC@stlucieco.org

Commissioner Chris Craft
E-mail: CraftC@stlucieco.org

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